Peanut hulls as a mulch? Good or Bad??

I posted a question about fertilizing existing plants and got some great suggestions that I did not know about. Thank you all for taking the time to answer my silly questions. I learn so much from you all.

One thing that was pointed out is that the peanut hulls that I am using are low in nitrogen. I am only using the peanut hulls as a top mulch (to prevent weeds and help keep moisture in the ground) so far. I was going to turn them into the ground in my rows in the fall with some other compost as well. Is that a bad idea - turning them into the soil? Are they OK as a top mulch or will they still rob the soil of nitrogen?

Answers

You might want to look at some other composting sites also, but this
one states that peanut hulls are considered more of a carbon source
than a nitrogen source: Composting, North Carolina Univ.,
http://www.bae.ncsu.edu/programs/extension/publicat/wqwm/ebae171_93.ht
ml

"The C/N ratio significantly influences the rate and degree to which
a mixture composts. Microbes use carbon as energy and nitrogen as a
food source to produce proteins. Optimum C/N ratios range from 20-30
parts carbon to 1 part nitrogen. C/N ratios under 20:1 result in
incomplete nitrogen use allowing ammonia to form in the pile and be
released during turning or aeration. Animal manures, poultry litter,
urea, grass clippings, legume residues and some sewage sludges are
good sources of nitrogen. Wood shavings, straw, peanut hulls, and
newsprint have high carbon contents."

If the peanut hulls are turned under they will decompose, i.e.
bacteria and fungi will convert the hull carbon into more bacteria
and fungi. In this process the microbes will need nitrogen,
phosporus and everything else that greeen plants need to grow. Life
is life. Later, earthworms and other animals and microbes will eat
the original bacteria and fungi and return the nitrogen, phophorus,
etc. to the soil. If the decomposition and green plant growth take
place at the same time, the plants will lose out to the microbes. In
that case you will have to fertilize to swamp out the needs of the
microbes. If decomposition and plant growth take place at different
times, e.g. decomposition in the fall-winter-spring and plant growth
in the spring-summer-fall, then there should be no problem. These
aare not hard-and-fast, by-the-numbers types of processes but are
dependent on temperature, moisture, soil condition, etc. The hulls
themselves do nothing to soil nitrogen. It is the microbes that
break them down that need the nitrogen. The biology and ecology
within soil is a fascinating process. Hope this helps.

I'm not a soil sciencitist by any means or an expert on their
theories but can
tell you from alot of years of practical experience that almost
anything
organic [hay,sawdust,manure etc] that you add to the soil will help
it produce a crop.If you need N then get some organic fertilizer of
some type top dress.The more you work your soil and the
more organic matter you add the quicker anything you put on will break
down into soil humus.I do all my composting in the garden or truck
patch by sheet spreading the material and discing or tilling it into
the soil then it quickly decomposes because everything for the
decomposition process is already present.I realize this is contrary
to alot of expert theory,but will put my soil in my garden and the
quality of the vegetables up against anyone's. The quality of the
plants you grow and the quality of their fruits is the ulitimate soil
test.

If you are going to add additional compost and turn the whole thing
under for the winter you should have no problem. The peanut hulls
will use up nitrogen WHILE they are decomposing but this process
should be completed by spring and the nitrogen will then be available
again. Just add plenty of manure and you'll be fine. In the meantime
the peanut hulls are fine for top mulching.

As others say, while decomposing they will take N out of the soil, and
your green plants will suffer.

I assume you plan on continuing the peanut hull mulch every year? I
also assume you are living in a warm southern climate (where peanuts
grow)and you could turn the mulch under in fall and it would do a lot
of decomposing over the winter months?

If you are in a cold climate, or you turn under the mulch & try to
plant right away, the N will be robbed from your plants much worse.

Anyhow, long-term the mulch helps, but you will need to add a source
of N also to keep your carbon & N balanced.

In general the stemmy fiber stuff (hulls, wood, stalks, cobs, & stems)
is carbon, and the green or fruit/ grain part of plants (green leaves,
manure, rotting friut, etc.) would be the N.

If you could work a legume (inocculated) into your rotation it would
really help fix natural N. (Legume - beans, peas, clovers, alfalfas -
they get a bacteria on their root that pulls N out of the air & places
it in the ground for you.) You need that bacteria tho, if no legumes
have been planted for a while the bean or clover won't form any on
it's roots on it's own.